Biodegradable polymers began to provide a solution to the problem of Waste Management relating to Plastics from the 70's. Biodegradable polymer undergoes biodegradation when it is buried in the soil leaving no remains of the polymer or other toxic residues. The biodegradation or mineralization of the polymer is measured by the evolution of carbon-di-oxide after microbial assimilation.
The term “biodegradable” had been used loosely in the early stages. Initial standards formulated for determining biodegradation actually amount to physical degradation only, on the basis of loss of tensile strength, discoloration and fragmentation. Many products claim biodegradability on the basis of these outdated standards, which have not been declared obsolete in the face of standards such as the ISO 14855 and the ASTM D 5338. Some materials, which merely disassemble or disintegrate into smaller pieces over time have been claimed to be “biodegradable” even though in reality they are not biodegradable in the strict sense of the word. A “biodegradable” polymer is capable of mineralizing completely on burial within a given period of time, leaving no traces of polymer in addition to a total absence of hazardous or toxic residue, unlike degradable polymer.
Over the course of the last many years there have been many patents in the area of biodegradable polymers/plastics. Yet none of these patents has led to products, which have been successful in establishing appreciable application in the overall plastics market due to the difference between biodegradable and degradable. The prior art has failed primarily in one or more of these four areas: 1) the articles lacked sufficient strength, 2) the articles had poor shelf life, 3) the articles were too expensive, and/or 4) processability into a useful article was difficult and expensive. The area where failure occurred most often was in price as some of the products manufactured from such biodegradable polymers cost as much as 5-20 times as much as non-biodegradable products available in the market. Another failing of these products is that they are photodegradable thus affecting the tensile strength of the product.
Starch-based polymers and other products merely disintegrate breaking up into minute particles not visible to the naked eye after burial resulting in biomass which may have toxic properties. They are also weak and too brittle by nature and have to be engineered to get the properties of virgin plastic. Another failing of starch-based products is that they lose strength under typical storage conditions through absorption of moisture, which leads to a weakening of the plastic.
There have been many attempts to make environmentally degradable articles using polymers. However, because of prohibitive costs, difficulty in processing, and lack of sufficient shelf life in end-use applications and have met with limited commercial success. Many compositions that have excellent degradability have only limited processability. Conversely, compositions, which are more easily processable, have reduced biodegradability.
To produce environmentally degradable polymers, attempts have been made to process aliphatic polymers made from natural starch on standard equipment and existing technology known in the plastic industry. Since natural starch generally has a granular structure, it needs to be “destructurized” before it can be melt processed into fine filaments. Modified starch (alone or as the major component of a blend) has been found to have poor melt extensibility, resulting in difficulty in successful production of fibers, films, foams or the like.
Biodegradation is measured by various Standards to test compostability to provide guidance to users. Certification from Standardized Test Procedures or tested norms, establish the credibility of the claims made regarding the biodegradability of the product and are necessary for the acceptance of polymer as biodegradable. International organizations responsible for establishing the validity of claims of Biodegradation have formulated Standards and Test Procedures which are internationally acceptable.
The International agencies for issue of the certificate for inherent biodegradability of plastic products are the following:                1) The American Society For Testing Materials (ASTM) in the United States,        2) Japan's GREENPLA program,        3) Europe's DIN certification and        4) European Committee for Standardization (CEN).        
The above mentioned agencies/tests are relevant in that they establish the nature of the invention against the background of International acceptability since the product has been subjected to ASTM Testing procedures for Aerobic Degradation (ASTM D 5338 and ASTM 5209) (American Society for testing materials); both Tests are used to establish inherent biodegradability of the biodegradable polymer being tested.